The Weirwood on the Volcano
by BasileusBasileos
Summary: Westros does not recover from the Third Century Crisis/Robert's Rebellion and the disintegration of the Seven Kingdoms starts long before the War of the Five Kings. The realm pays for the toss of a coin by the Gods, and a second toss might shatter it irreversibly. Or offer a final chance of salvation. AU where Rhaegar's Third head is unadulterated Targaryen, not just in looks.
1. Chapter 1: The Kingmaker

Author's Note: This story has been copied over from my AO3 account. Will be dark and have lots of unpalatable material-violent deaths, sadistic characters, obscenity, popular character death. In other words, about the same as one should expect from ASOIAF+derivative. Read at your own risk. Please also note that POV views do not necessarily reflect the author's opinion-merely her/his conception about how a particular character might act.

On a lighter note, this is the first story I am posting at FFN. Reviews will be appreciated. Thank you for sticking around for so long.

Disclaimer: I own Nothing.

Chapter summary: A Second Lord Commander of the Kingsguard resents having to play Kingmaker, as he remembers how his family had paid the first time for interfering with the succession.

* * *

_Dorne, 283 AL._

The messenger could not have come at a worse time, Ser Gerold Hightower thought as the rider dismounted. The Stark girl had gone into labour a few hours ago, and the maester and the wet-nurse were fretting about. He had lost count of the number of times he had heard "too young" and "birthing fever" and had to step outside the Tower to escape it all. Rhaegar would not be too happy if anything happened to the girl, but this was not an adversary swords could protect her from. She had not spoken much since her silver prince had left, but then again, she was mostly silent (aside from that one initial explosive outburst) after discovering what happened to her father and brother. Ser Gerold was glad that she had not tried to run away, as she had threatened then; he did not relish the thought of having to drag an unwilling girl back on the orders of the Prince he had sworn to serve. One test his vows did not have to endure, he thought as the messenger approached him.

'How does the war go?' he asked, even though he was almost certain the man would not know anything of importance. Lord Alayne Dayne prized discretion above all, and was not about to trust anyone with important information, especially not where Lyanna Stark was concerned. Ser Gerold had met few men half as honorable, and were it not for his handicap, it would Alayne, not Arthur who would have been the brother more befitting the White. Despite his disability, Lord Dayne's mind was as sharp as ever, and no one questioned his love for his brother or his loyalty to the Iron Throne. Without his help, they would have simply perished of thirst in the deserts of Dorne and despite the recent dearth of messages, he had done an admirable job of keeping them informed about what was happening in the outside world.

'I do not know my Lord,' the messenger replied 'Lord Dayne told me to pass these on to you.'

Ser Gerold was surprised to see that there were two letters. The first was from Lord Dayne, expected to be a summary about what went on in the outside world. The second bore the seal of the Spider and was addressed to him. So he has finally found us out, he thought, as he decided to read put that aside for now.

That proved to be a mistake, as his head spun after reading the first few words from Lord Dayne. His first instinct was to ride back to Kings Landing, but he knew that would serve nothing. He needed to speak with his brothers and pray that old age had made him senile enough to misread the missive.

He found Arthur and Oswell outside the birthing room, standing guard against a foe beyond their power to defeat. Arthur smiled on seeing him, and his grin widened after seeing the parchment in his hands.

'Alayne has written?', asked the Sword of the Morning.

'Read it, read it aloud for all to hear!' snapped Ser Gerold.

Arthur looked surprised but took the letter. His face paled within moments of setting sight on the contents, but he obeyed his command.

'Checkmate. Rhaegar lost Trident-dead along with Jon Darry, and Lewyn. Selmy injured, probably dead too. Lannister's sacked King's Landing to gain favor with the victors. Elia, Aegon and Rhaenys killed by Lannister bannermen. Jaime Lannister killed the King. Its all over. Forget the girl and run to Dragonstone immediately. The Queen was sent there along with Viserys.'

'How can this be?!', Oswell screamed. 'We had more men than them, seasoned and experienced commanders, and we lost to a whoring drunkard and a green second son! And Rhaegar! What will happen to the Seven Kingdoms now?'

Arthur had gone completely still after reading the letter, probably in shock. Ser Gerold still wondered how Lord Dayne's hand held steady while writing the letter.

'Jon, Lewyn, Barristan dead! And that oathbreaking Lannister scum betrayed us! We must ride out to dispense justice at once!' Oswell continued to rant.

'Shut up!' roared Arthur Dayne, face clinched in pain. It must be the hardest for him Ser Gerold thought, he was very close to both Rhaegar and Elia, and he had been the one to knight Jaime Lannister.

'Our duty is to defend the King, who might be born any moment as we speak', finished Ser Arthur.

The King. Oh how Ser Gerold would love to forget that detail. It was easy to think of Lyanna Stark as 'the girl', when Elia Martell still lived, despite both Rhaegar and Arthur claiming that she wed Rhaegar under a heart-tree, in true Targaryen fashion. Ser Gerold was sure that he did not approve, the Faith looked down upon a man taking a second wife while the first lived. Then again, in the eyes of the Faith, the sins of House Targaryen were already prodigious, with their generations of incest. Still, polygamy was not something that had been carried out since Maegor the Cruel. The Old King and Queen Alyssanne had seen to that, although the practice was not explicitly forbidden. Aegon III was the last King to have considered it, when Jaehaera Targaryen failed to bear a child. There was no love lost between the couple, and the Queen chose poison over shame, clearing the last obstacle for the Dragonbane.

Polygamy had proven hard enough to defend even with dragons, and he did not think for a moment that the Lords would consider this union to have any legitimacy. Yet, with Aegon dead, the alternative was truly frightening-Viserys, who had grown up under the shadow of Aerys' madness, unlike Rhaegar (though he was not sure if that had made any difference).

_Please let Rhaegar be right and it be a girl_, he prayed, _I do not want to become a second Criston Cole._

Arthur and Oswell were still arguing, and he knew he had to step in. 'No one is going anywhere. We will decide after she gives birth', ordered Ser Gerold, his mind still far away. Crowning Lyanna Stark's son would have one advantage; it could possibly reconcile them with the North, whose army had truly won the war for Robert Baratheon. Lord Stark may not be too unwilling to see his nephew as King, with possibly himself as Hand (though he did know very little about the second son on Rickard Stark to be truly certain). Blood, he hoped, would run thicker than water. Still, the Queen may not approve. Despite whatever Arthur and Oswell thought, Ser Gerold would obey Rhaella Targaryen over any child-king. But she was at Dragonstone, and a decision might have to be made before then. _Please let it be a girl_, he thought, _and spare me the need to choose_.

* * *

It had to be a boy, with silver hair and indigo eyes-to spite him all the more, he thought, as the Kingsguard stepped into the room. No question about who the father is, the Lord Commander thought. And the girl was too weak to survive a trip to Dragonstone. A decision had to be made then and there.

'What is his name?', asked Ser Arthur Dayne.

'Jon', replied the girl, weakly but defiantly.

Oswell reeled over in maniacal laughter. 'This is the woman you hope to make Queen Arthur! This fool is supposed replace Elia, who doesn't even realize the gravity of the situation!'.

Arthur's face whitened, and he clenched his knuckles, but did not move. The girl simply looked at them in confusion.

'I am sorry that you have to hear ill news so soon after your ordeal my lady,' Arthur spoke, 'but this cannot wait. Robert Baratheon killed Rhaegar at the Trident. We have lost, and King's Landing has fallen. The King is dead, as is Princess Elia, Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenys. The Queen and Prince Viserys fled to Dragonstone.'

The girl did not look like she was capable of speech anymore, an expression of abject horror on her face. He was proven wrong a moment later when a moan came out of her face, which suspiciously sounded like _Elia_.

'Why are you still here then? Shouldn't you be with your new King now?'Lyanna Stark spoke after what appeared to be long moment.

'We are with our new King, Your Grace', spoke Ser Arthur.

'Not if she insists on calling him Jon', muttered Oswell.

'He is not a pawn for you in this game!' screamed the girl with unexpected force.

Ser Gerold made his choice at that moment. _For all that I wished to not be Criston Cole, I am the Kingmaker now, _Ser Gerold thought._ And my choice shall decide the course of History in Westros._

'King Viserys has no need for possible pretenders, especially in this hour of crisis. As Kingsguard my duty is to protect the King, although you may rest assured I won't be as cruel as Clegane.'

'What are you talking about?', the girl spoke, shock still clear on her face.

'Gregor Clegane smashed Prince Aegon's skull down. I won't be half so cruel, a pillow will be adequate' spoke Ser Gerold, his voice becoming harsher as he recalled the details from the Spider's letter. 'No Daemon Blackfyre for King Viserys III, and no one for Starks to rally behind in future.'

'No!' screamed the girl, 'You cannot!'

'It will be either the Crown or the pillow!' roared Ser Gerold. 'Make your choice now _Your Grace!_ Hand him over to Ser Arthur if you want him to live.'

Trembling, the girl complied, shifting his mind to the next priority. Oswell beat him to expressing his feelings though.

'We need a name befitting a Valyrian monarch, not something used by Northern savages.'

_We do indeed. Aegon is out, as is Aerys, Rhaegar and Viserys. Maegor is political suicide, as is Aenys or Baelor. Daemon cannot be considered for the same reason. Too few people remember Maekar, but it is the Targaryen legacy we need to base our future campaigns on. Daeron may be a good choice, or Aemon after the Dragonknight and the master who Rhaegar liked so much. But there was no king Aemon before._

Then the answer came to him, as he remembered another pale face with large violet eyes, surrounded by silver hair. The sickly King stood beside the painting of another who had borne his name, firstborn son of King Aenys Targaryen and Lady Jorelle Stark [1], the King who had defeated the Faith and gave the realm six decades of peace.

'Jaehaerys Targaryen, Third of his name' he declared. 'As the Regent, the Queen must be informed at once about the birth of her grandson'. Mother of the King or not, Rhaella Targaryen was his Queen, not Lyanna Stark. He hoped that naming the babe after her father[2] will make her think favorably about her grandson and not oppose his choice of King in this hour of crisis.

'Well then,' Arthur spoke, 'We must be glad that his father had already left us with all that is needed for coronation'.

He had, starting with Aegon III's crown and Dark Sister, for his own Visenya Targaryen. He was wrong about the sex though, something Ser Gerold was now glad for. This babe represented their only chance of victory and vengeance, should Lord Stark see it fit to adhere to the words of his wife's family, _Family, Duty and Honor._

The risk of dragging in a Dornish Septon was too high, and it was he who had to proclaim Jaehaerys Targaren, Third of his Name as the King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. The Stark girl was still rather disapproving, but fell in line with her son's sworn protectors quickly enough. She truly did not want to be Queen, Ser Gerold thought in marvel, but at least she understands the need to keep the boy safe from the Lannister-Baratheon combine. Lord Alayne shot off ravens to both the Queen and Lord Stark, but he did have his apprehensions about the plan. _Your plan is sound, _he had written, _and yet I cannot bring myself to agree wholeheartedly with this. Ashara disagrees with your characterization of Ned Stark, though I have told her she is just being a naïve girl. Nonetheless, I am somewhat apprehensive, though I will obey the King._

The Spider had mentioned that Stark had protested the butchering of Rhaegar's children, and had fought with Baratheon over it. A defection seemed likely, and Ser Gerold hoped that family ties would prove stronger than friendship. There was no way to inform the Spider about the new King though, he was still in the heart of King's Landing and Ser Gerold did not trust him completely.

* * *

The Queen responded with haste, and Ser Gerold was relieved to know that she fully supported his decision to bypass Viserys. It was obvious that her bias for Rhaegar and hatred of her brother won the day, and she appreciated his desire to not see the second coming of Aerys II on the Iron Throne. The Velaryon fleet was prepared to attack King's Landing at any moment. _One flaming arrow into the wildfire stockpile_, she wrote, _and the enemy decapitated and the war won_. She also approved of his decision to ally with Lord Stark and offer him the position of Hand, should he back his nephew. Rhaella Targaryen was not generally supportive of her brother-husband's actions, and she had fought tooth and nail to prevent the Stark burning, rightly foreseeing the civil war to come.

_Damn you, Criston Cole, _thought Ser Gerold,_ were it not for the Dance, it would be her I served. The eldest inherit according to Valyrian law, and the Queen would have made a far better ruler than her brother._

Ser Gerold was also surprised to know that the Queen was with child. A girl, she hoped, writing '_I do not intend to fail the son as badly as I failed the father.'_

Lord Stark however, had not responded, and the first word about his movements came from Lord Dayne. Stark had lifted the siege of Storm's End and had made the Tyrells bend the knee to Robert Baratheon. The loss of the Reach was effectively a death sentence for the Targaryen cause, and Lord Dayne repeated his earlier advice of running to Dragonstone, since Dorne too would yield soon enough. However, Lyanna Stark was in no state to travel; she had barely survived the childbirth, and was in a stupor most of the time. Lord Dayne had suggested poison, but Ser Gerold had refused to entertain the notion. Unlike Ser Jaime, he was no Oathbreaker. Besides, the weather had turned for the worse, making any voyage to Dragonstone unsafe, especially with the now hostile Redwyne Navy on the Eastern Sea. The free Cities were another option Lord Dayne had suggested, but all three of the sworn brothers were united in their opposition: _The Kingsguard do not flee. Leaving Westros is abandoning the cause of the True King. Exile is not a pill we will swallow. _

Ser Gerold was no fool, and he knew what was going to come, though he still hoped that they could somehow escape to the Island seat of House Targaryen. Thus when he saw Ned Stark and his companions approached the Tower, his first command was return the King to his mother. _Better die a King being defended by the Kingsguard than die a beggar far away,_ was what he told his brothers. Arthur hesitated on hearing that, but then all three marched out, secure in the knowledge that they would die that day, in service to the Last Targaryen King of Westros.

* * *

**Notes:**

[1]: This is a slightly dated hypothesis that GRRM has confirmed is not the case. However, I did not know that while writing this and in any case, makes little difference. Copied from AO3: 'We do not know who Aenys Targaryen married till now, and so this is just a guess. However, it will not be surprising if he had married a Stark. Ive read it somewhere that he did not marry a sister, and that seems plausible for alliance building. Umber mentions 'it was the dragons we married but the dragons are no more' before crowning Robb Stark and calling for secession. Torrhen Stark might have knelt, but his men would have wanted something in return to comply with this, suggesting a marital alliance to bind the North (the way Dorne was finally bound 200 years later). A Princess marrying into House Stark is plausible, except there are no records of a dragon being anywhere around Winterfell, in the days when Targaryens still had dragons. A Stark woman marrying into the Targaryens is an alternate solution, one that seems plausible as Jaehaerys I defeated the Faith at a rel. young age, where his father and uncle had failed. It might mean he had a powerbase independent of the Faith (The Northmen) or that he was not a product of incest or both. His sister-wife Alyssanne had blue eyes, rather surprisingly. Targaryens were unlikely to be marrying into the recently elevated House Tully, but a former Royal house was a possible option.'

[2]: Jaehaerys II Targaryen: Second son of Aegon V, made King after Summerhall. Sickly and weak of constitution, he lasted three years before being succeeded by his son Aerys II.


	2. Chapter 2: The Last Queen

Authors Note: Reviews will be appreciated as this is my first work on FFN.

Chapter Summary: A woman proves herself to be more capable than her brother or son ever was.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

_Dragonstone, 283 AL._

Rhaella Targaryen collapsed on her seat. Varys' letter collaborated Lord Dayne's message, and the short piece Bonnifer Hasty had sent a few weeks ago. It was all over, Lord Commander Hightower was dead, along with Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell. Lyanna Stark was dead too, and her bones were already on the road to Winterfell. Varys and Bonnifer had not mentioned her grandson, but they were not even aware he existed. She had never trusted the Spider, and had agreed with Lord Hightower's decision to exclude him from the planning. And Bonnifer had only written out of shared affection in days past. Lord Dayne had been the only one to mention Jaehaerys, and it was a brief sentence about how a sudden childhood malady had cut his life short. _Or the story Stark wants me to know, and Dayne cooperated to spare me another horror tale._ She had no delusions about what had happened to her grandchildren, although she would not have thought Lord Stark as a kinslayer.

_Then again, neglect kills a babe just as easily. The honorable Lord Stark has one less spot on his family's honor._ No mention of the babe was made anywhere else, and she suspected even Robert Baratheon did not know the details, free to deify his lost _love_. Aerys's ashes were thrown into the Blackwater, but the last King's bones probably lay in a ditch somewhere. She at least hoped that Lord Dayne would try to give a decent burial if he could. The people in Dragonstone thought Viserys King, and only Lord Velaryon and Ser Willem Darry knew better. There was no coronation at first, as Rhaella was too consumed with grief. Then Ser Gerold had written, and Rhaella had been clinging on the hope of seeing her grandson on the Throne since, keeping silent till the situation with the Starks was worked out. Until now, when she finally reconciled herself to the reality of the situation.

_Jaehaerys Targargen_._ A cursed name to be born with, _the Queen thought. _The Old King had lived eight decades, and had sucked the life out of all those who came to follow._ Aegon II's son Jaehaerys, murdered at the age of six during the Dance; her father, born sickly and who only reigned for three years and finally her last grandchild.

She looked outside as the storm raged. The storm had destroyed her last weapon. The navy was gone, along with any hopes she had of landing one final blow on Tywin and Robert. It was over; she realized glancing into the choppy waters, though her cousin, Lord Monterys Velaryon would disagree. _He is trapped in Driftmark though, his ships probably as ruined as mine. _ _Satisfied now Argilac? You have won at last, but I will be damned before I let myself fall the same way as my son had._

_Viserys will never rule._ Even neglecting all the ways her second son was like his father, there was simply no way to win the war now. _Exile in the Free Cities for us three,_ as the babe kicked_, a broodmare for some great Lord, who sees it as a chance to have heirs with the blood of the Forty._

_That will never happen. I am the last true descendant of the Conqueror, the Last dragon with the blood of the Forty_[1]_ through my veins. Grandaughter, daughter, sister, wife and grandmother of Kings, I will break before I bend._

She thought of her father, begging her to keep Aerys under control from his deathbed. _It's all your fault Uncle Duncan, _she thought bitterly,_ you left him with the weight of the crown, knowing it will bury him. And bury him it did, my father lasted three years on that infernal throne._ Yet try as she could, she could not hate Rhaegar for having his own Jenny of Oldstones [2]. _We were always too similar, and I wish I could have had run with my knight in shining armor the way you ran with your wolf maiden._ She liked Elia, but she knew precisely how much love was there in their marriage, and she did empathize with her son, trapped in a loveless marriage for prophecies and preserving the blood of the dragon.

_As if you were a dragon Aerys,_ she thought, _a disgrace and a fool_. Aegon V had intended to change the succession law back to the Old Valyrian style, after the final defeat of the Blackfyres. But Summerhall got in the way, and her father had too little political capital to spare, with his poor health. So it had been Aerys and not her on Aegon's throne, and now it led to this.

Rhaella Targaryen was no fool, and she knew that a big chunk of garrison she brought from the mainland would defect as soon as Stannis got a fleet to sail up. _The storm hasn't reached mainland, three weeks at most before it all ends._ The Castle however, would not fall so fast. The Targaryens had held Dragonstone for half a millennia, and the Westernmost outfit of the Valyrian Freehold would not bow to an Andal easily. _It was a good run,_ Rhaella thought_, we outran death for five centuries, but now we must fall and join the other thirty nine._

The babe kicked again, and a brief flicker of regret ran through her for what she must do. But not much sorrow, nearly all of it had gone to Rhaegar. She thought about taking moon tea, but she dismissed it immediately, she was far too far much along. _I will not fall to the birthing bed. I am no Lyanna Stark._

_Besides we do not have that much time left. _Stannis's fleet will sail up soon and it will all end. _A smattering the east, a little less in the west, that is all that will be left of the forty. The realm is a jealous mistress. We gave it nigh three centuries of respite from continuous warfare between Kingdoms, but it all must end._

_I wonder how long you can hold the realm together, cousin. How long will Elia's brothers tolerate you? Even if Doran has milk in his veins and not blood, how long will the rest of the Rhoynar tolerate Andal supremacy? And I wonder how many in the North will approve of the first Stark to have ever knelt to an Andal in eight thousand years, once the dust settles. The realm will bleed, but at least it is not my responsibility any more. No, my only duty is to not let Dragonstone be stained with dragonblood, nor be paraded in shame through Kings Landing. The end is nigh, but I shall enjoy my last dance, before it all ends._

For the first time in years she thought of Theodora, the first female Imperator[3] of the Valyrian Freehold, the ruler who did not flee when her subjects rose up in an uprising, declaring that if she were to die, she would die in imperial purple. She bathed Valyria with fire and blood and had ultimately prevailed, enshrining the right of women to rule. _The Targaryens were never Imperators, and so we never used purple. Our colours are black and red, and we called ourselves King, not Imperator. But in the end we are the same, only that you prevailed while I must fall._

She decided to call Ser Willem. She would need his help for the planning, and in return he could run wherever he wished, with as much gold he wanted. The old man was loyal to a fault and would probably be the only one to see the sense in this, having lost three brothers in the Trident. After that she would descend to the crypts, where all the ashes of the dead kings were kept (save Aegon II; Rhaenyra and the 'Queen that never was' [4] were honored there, as were Aegon Dragonbane's brothers [5], but not the man he thought an usurper and was forced to accept in public). She was suddenly glad she had the babe now, for after all, only death could pay for life.

* * *

A month had passed since then, and Stannis was finally here. Thanks to her planning and Ser Darry's execution, only the garrison outside had defected immediately. The Castle was under siege, and supplies were running out. _Stannis at least can appreciate. It is almost time anyways._

_I apologize Aunt Rhaelle, but I have no regrets _[6]_. This is how things must be._ The people inside were restless, and she was prepared for the coup. It happened as expected, with her and Viserys being locked inside the study, where she was to wait for the usurper's brother, while Baratheon men flooded in to loot the fortress of the Conqueror.

Ser Darry led Stannis into the room, leaving the door wide open behind. Stannis was gaunter than before and more grey hairs, she noted, a brief blast of vindictiveness coming to her mind. Stannis, she noted, still did not look into her in the eye.

_I wish he was less like Steffon,_ she thought. Aloud she spoke 'Lord Stannis, why this unexpected pleasure?'

Stannis visibly flinched, but his voice held steady 'You and your son are ordered to come with me to Kings Landing.'

'And who are you, that I must bow so low?' hissed Rhaella.

'You lost the war, and it would be better if you cooperate.'

'I may have lost, Stannis, but a dragon never kneels!' she said as she slammed her hands onto the table.

The lever sprang into action as expected, and the five urns of wildfire in the room exploded setting the hidden barrels of oil aflame. The doorway had caved in, cutting off any hope of escape. _Wildfire is my Moondancer against this usurper, but unlike Princess Baela, I won't live to see my triumph._[7]

'There is no way out Stannis. Ser Willem and I spent two months on this. The whole castle is filled with oil and wildfire, and we will all burn now, as my men are burning all your ships. You were deluded to imagine that Dragonstone would abandon the Targaryens so easily.'

Stannis tried to move towards her, and she was pleased to see the false step worked. A spout of fire roasting a man was not one of her favourite sights but for once she took pleasure in it. The devices worked like a charm, all the precautions Daeron II had taken fearing a Blackfyre conquest finally being used. _We are not so different now Aerys. Might as well try for a fresh start in the void, when we finally find rest._

'Mother!', Viserys screamed, frightened as the flames drew near.

'Hush little dragon, fire cannot kill us.'

That at least she knew was a lie, but this was a better death than the alternative. She was no longer sure of anything as the flames surrounded them, as their flesh burned and Viserys screamed, but she could have sworn she heard several screeches before her legs gave way.

_Valar morghulis, _thought the Last Queen as it all went black.

* * *

Notes: Apologies for the long note, I swear I will try to keep these short in /  
These are Canon unless noted /  
[1] The Forty: The Forty families of dragon-riders that ruled Valyria. The Targaryens were not one of the stronger/notable ones, but they were the only ones to survive, having escaped to Dragonstone a century before the Doom of Valyria.

[2] Duncan Targaryen: First son of Aegon V, the Unlikely. Married for love, to a simple girl called Jenny of Oldstones. Lost his claim to the throne is the process, making his sickly younger brother Jaehaerys heir. Died in Summerhall with Aegon V, avoiding any potential succession crisis. No known heirs.

[3] Imperator: This is not canon, but rather real history. The Latin term from which we derive the word Emperor today. Used by Roman Emperors till Heraclius in the 7th Century. Theodora is also non canon, inspired by a real Roman Empress of the same name, the wife of Justinian I in the 6th Century. She famously refused to leave Constantinople in the wake of riots that almost overthrew her husband, declaring she'd rather die an Empress. He husband got the courage to fight back then, and survived, becoming the greatest later-day Roman Emperor (often called the last Roman).br /  
Back to Canonbr /  
[4] Queen that never was: Rhaenys Targaryen, only child of Prince Aemon, King Jaehaerys I's first son. Passed over in succession by her grandfather the Old King, in favour of her paternal Uncle Baelon, in direct violation of both Andal and Valyrian law. First instance of an agnatic succession, an instance that would ultimately lead to the Dance of the Dragons. Rhaenys never rebelled for the Throne, but she supported Rhaenyra Targaryen's claim (her good-daughter), perishing in a battle against Aegon II and his brother, Aemond.

[5] Jacerys, Lucerys and Joffrey Velaryon: First three sons of Rhaenyra Targaryen with Laenor Velaryon (Rhaenys's son), half brothers of the future Aegon III and Viserys II. All three died during the Dance.

[6] Rhaelle Targaryen: Daughter of Aegon V, sister of Jaehaerys II. Grandmother of Robert Baratheon, and the reason behind his claim to the Iron Throne (even though it was Ned Stark and Jon Arryn whose men fought and won the Rebellion, along with House Tully. Stormlands were under siege due to the Reach.)

[7] Baela Targaryen: Paternal half-sister of Aegon III and Viserys II, granddaughter of Rhaenys Targaryen. One of the blacks, she was the last defender of Dragonstone against Aegon II. As a girl of 14, she rose up with her dragon Moondancer (barely larger than a horse) to take on Aegon II and his dragon. Moondancer died, and she was injured. Aegon II's dragon however never recovered from its injuries. and Baela Targaryen probably lived long enough to see her brother on the Iron Throne.


	3. Chapter 3: The Hand who takes the shit

_Or the regrets of Lord Jon Arryn._

_I own nothing_

* * *

_Kings Landing, 289 AL_

Lord Jon Arryn was surprised when Grand Maester Pycelle nearly ran into the room. It was a letter from Dorne, the Old man gasped, bearing the seal of House Martell and not Dayne. Lord Arryn took the letter, and gently shushed the old man out, telling him that he will be made aware of any important developments. _The ones I think Tywin Lannister needs to know anyways._

The contents of the letter however, could not be kept a secret for long. He briefly thought about trying to find Robert to give him the news, but he dismissed it almost immediately. The King had no interest in statecraft, and it would be better to simply tell the Small Council first in the afternoon. But he still found it hard to believe that Alayne Dayne, his Dornish counterpart was dead. The Chief Minister to Prince Doran Martell had successfully engineered the secession of Dorne from the Seven Kingdoms, but had not lived long enough to truly savour his victory.

_He was twenty years younger than me, and still went first, _thought Lord Arryn._ It will be a great loss to Dorne, and possibly also for us._ Alayne Dayne may had been the one to spearhead the secession, and engineer the defeat of Reachmen sent to put down the rebellion, but he was one of the moderate voices for peace. Though he never admitted it, Lord Arryn feared Alayne Dayne more than Tywin Lannister, and often guiltily thanked the Gods for denying the man the ability to walk. Yet Dayne had held Oberyn Martell in check from his chair, something his successor might not be able to achieve. _Anders Yronwood is no friend of Prince Oberyn, but it will be difficult for him to control the man from starting another war. _Dorne may not be able to win, but it could deal considerable damage to the southern parts of the Reach and Stormlands. _And should Velaryon want to make trouble…_

_War must be avoided. I hope Prince Doran knows that._ Keeping the remnants of the Seven Kingdoms together was already a difficult task without war.

_It all began with Dragonstone. Robert should have known better than to send an inexperienced battle-commander. But I was just as at fault-all of us had underestimated Rhaella Targaryen. I wonder if she herself had realized what her actions would cause._

Too few people had survived to give a complete account, but Lord Arryn had tried his best to stitch their conflicting accounts together. The external garrison brought from the mainland had defected 'to the true King' immediately after Stannis landed. There was no attempt to stop a landing, which in hindsight seemed suspicious. But at that moment everyone had thought that it was due to the storm that had destroyed the Navy, and Lord Velaryon was unable to put together any obstacle. Stannis, a suspicious man by nature, had disarmed all these soldiers and only used his men for the siege. The Castle fell in a week, due to a coup from within. Ser Willem Darry was dragged out by the traitors, and he begged Stannis publicly to spare the Queen and Prince Viserys, locked in the study. Ser Willem was famed for his honor, but still Stannis emptied the Castle of its earlier inhabitants (save the Royal prisoners), before asking Darry to take him to the Queen. Most of the men who had defected were outside and disarmed, while Stannis took nearly all armed Baratheon men inside. That was a costly mistake, as Rhaella Targaryen burned the castle down, and the last Baratheon soldiers were ambushed by the erstwhile traitors, who accessed carefully hidden weapons kept with the smallfolk. Never could have Lord Arryn imagined that the Queen will arm the smallfolk of Dragonstone, but that is exactly what she had done, leading to a massive rout of Baratheon men. Robert had sent a thousand for the sack, and only one ship with fifty men made it back.

The depth of the Queen's plan still impressed Lord Arryn, as the old officers of the Royal Navy seized the Baratheon ships instead of burning them. Lord Velaryon cobbled together a small fleet as well, and with the loyalist fleet that fled Gulltown, declared the Eastern Islands free from the Seven Kingdoms. Robert was furious and he got the larger Redwyne Navy to attack, along with the small force Lord Manderly was able to cobble together. Velaryon however got Pentos and Tyrosh to intervene, and the resulting battle at sea was a crushing defeat for King Robert. While the consequences were being worked out, Dorne too declared its secession.

The King was enraged, but Lord Arryn, and Ned Stark convinced him there was nothing to be done, especially on the account of the defeat of the Reachmen sent to put down the rebellion. Dorne had stopped the Aegon the Conqueror, and there was no way a realm just out of war could defeat House Martell in their desert home or take on the might of the Free Cities without a working Navy. Lord Tywin hadn't liked it, but the rest of the Small Council had concurred with the faction suing for peace, especially in light of the defeat in Sea. Thus Dorne was free and the Islands could style themselves as 'West Valyria'.

Most of the trade between the Kings Landing and the Free Cities lay within the sphere of influence of Driftmark, something Lord Velaryon capitalized heavily on, in his new position as the 'Exarch of West Valyria'. It shocked Lord Arryn that a Lord of Valyrian descent was now a glorified Pirate, but he did not complain as long as heavy taxes on ships from 'unfavoured states' was all the Sea Snake wanted. They had been suggestions of abondoning King's Landing in favor of Storm's End which were almost immediately abandoned. The pretense of a continuity from Aegon I was too essential for such a move to be viable. In the South, Lord Alayne Dayne had become the second in command to Prince Doran, and had been able to work out a formula for peace with Ned Stark, united over the grief of losing a brother and sister to the war, as well as over the child who shared their blood.

Lord Arryn still found it shocking that Ned had a bastard. Robert and Elbert [1] had teased Ned for fancying Ashara Dayne after Harrenhall. Though he had not spoken then, he thought that the Star of Starfall was a tall hope for the sullen second son of the North. Ashara Dayne was renowned for her beauty all over the Seven Kingdoms, and she remained unwed by choice, though Lord Arryn did find her behavior scandalous.

Then the revolution happened and Ned had to step forward to honor his brother's betrothal, and Lord Arryn himself had to wed the bride's sister. Ned had offered to marry Lysa, and let him have Catelyn, but he used Brandon's memory to prevent that. In truth he wanted Ned to have the prettier wife, since all he truly needed was a womb. Ned was young and could afford to have delusions about the world, but Lord Jon Arryn did not. Still, thinking of Catelyn and her two children made him regret that choice at times. Ned at least would have had a bastard to succeed him, no matter how much his Goodfather would have hated it. _I would do anything for a son, even a bastard, _thought Lord Arryn. _Harry is the only hope for the Vale now. _

His mind returned back to Dorne and strange relationship between Ned and Lord Dayne. _Ned probably knows about Dayne already._ Ned had been responsible for the death of both Alayne's siblings, Arthur in combat and Ashara from shame. Lady Dayne had thrown herself off a Tower in Starfall, and her corpse washed up the next day. Lord Alayne, consumed with grief, had wanted nothing to do with her bastard, and that was how Ned Stark found himself saddled with his son. _Apparently he looks like his Dornish uncles. At least Ned placed the boy with the Reeds of Greywater Watch, instead of shaming his wife, under some misguided notion of honour._ But Alayne and Ned had grown close later, both out of a desperate desire to avoid war that cost them nearly all their family, and revulsion about Elia Martell's death.

He had in fact tried to tie Dorne to the Seven Kingdoms via a betrothal between Allyria, Lord Dayne's last sister, and Benjen Stark. There were no girls of House Martell who were available to marry Renly, nor was such a union likely in the light of Princess Elia's fate. A union between the Second families of the Two Realms would have helped with peace, especially over the strange understanding between Lord Dayne and Lord Stark. King Robert and Prince Doran had approved, but Lord Hoster was furious. _Too much Dayne influence in Winterfell_, he had written. _Your goodbrother already has a son from that House, and should his uncle and aunt persuade his father to legitimize him, it will bring great shame to your goodsister_. The marriage however had been stiffly opposed by Lord Dayne, and Benjen himself, who took the Black soon after.

_Perhaps Sansa and Alayne's son to preserve the peace?_ He discounted the option immediately, undermining Ned in the North was a far worse move. _They did not want to kneel again, after all the blood they had shed for Robert._ As the only Lord Paramount with a pure Andal lineage, Lord Jon would be the first to admit the destruction wrecked by the Andals on the realms of the First men, but he was still surprised by animosity Northmen still held for Andals. _They never knelt in eight thousand years, while the Kings of the Rock, Reach and Storm slowly became Andal. Torrhen bowed only to the Conqueror, and were rewarded with having a grandson be King _[2]_. The Targaryens had never interfered with the North, and Lord Rickard was the first Stark to have considered Andal matches for his children, something that had led to much grief._ Northmen had never knelt to House Baratheon, and he was aware that Lord Eddard Stark was the only reason the North remained with the Seven Kingdoms. Though men thought him weak for kneeling to an Andal, when Alayne Dayne and Monterys Velaryon had not, eight thousand years of loyalty did not vanish in a generation.

_It does have a breaking point though, _thought Lord Arryn._ One generation, two at most before North goes the way of Dorne. _Southron matches of Lord Stark's children could delay that, but it would also increase hostility between House Stark and its bannermen. _All your children must marry and stay in the North,_ Lord Arryn had written. _Especially the girls, make them realize you are one of them and not some Vale fosterling. _Ned had taken his advice, and had been able to go beyond, by getting Lord Bolton's son fostered with him in Winterfell. _The greatest foe of House Stark neutralized. It was indeed fortunate Lord Bolton sought a Vale House to foster Domeric, and I was told immediately. Ned did the rest, and Im proud of him._

Isolating the North however, could not prevent the inevitable political disintegration of the Seven Kingdoms. _Please let me die before I have to witness that, although I suppose I bear no small part of the blame. Robert was not Aegon the Conqueror as I envisioned, more of Aegon the Unworthy, without a Daeron to take over._

His mind drifted back many years, to the Great Council of 258. _He was a new lord then, Lord Jasper Arryn having died a year earlier. The issue however was of great importance, with Prince Duncan wanting to break his betrothal to Lady Tyrell, in order to marry a commoner. The Lords were outraged, especially those of the Reach. The Prince's sister had been the one to offer a solution at the end of it. Rhaelle Targaryen may have wed a man thirty years her elder to secure Storm's End for her father in the middle of the a Blackfyre invasion, but she had wanted to see her brother happy. Now, as Lady of Storm's End on behalf of her young son, she was able to get the Lords to agree to a compromise that would replace Duncan with Jaehaerys in the succession._

_It was the last day when the King spoke. 'I may have to call you again soon my Lords. I believe this is the time to review succession laws, introduced during the extreme emergency of the Dance of the Dragons. The time is now ripe, and the Blackfyre pretenders are dead. I would like to hear more of your thoughts on this soon.' He noticed the beautiful young lady next to him, round with child and wondered if she was to be the next Queen, due to Prince Jaehaerys's poor health._

_But Summerhall happened, and Rhaella Targaryen never sat on the Iron Throne. I offered it to her son once, who proved himself unworthy of it. _Aerys had to be removed, all the lords had agreed by Harrenhall. _But Rhaegar refused and our nightmare began._

_I never thought Robert would sit on that Throne. My only duty was to survival when I declared him King. I could have hardly declared for Aegon, still under Aerys' thumb in Kings Landing. I always thought that we could just send Robert over with Lyanna to Storm's End once it ended, as a good compromise for peace. The realm would not have split then, but Tywin Lannister destroyed that one hope._

He still remembered seeing the bodies of the children, realizing that there will never be peace with either the Queen or Dorne. Ned was yelling about justice but he saw Robert's glance at the Throne, and realized what a demon he had unleashed. _There was still hope then. I would not have let Viserys on that Throne while I lived, and Robert could have been a good king, even the Conqueror had lusted for power._ Except he wasn't and Lord Arryn often felt that all the compromises to his honor that he had to endure, in order to appease Tywin Lannister and avoid another war, were for naught.

_Please let me die before it all breaks apart. Let history be kind to this foolish old man with good intent._

* * *

More grave news poured in within the week, the Greyjoys had rebelled and Lord Tywin's fleet burned at Lannisport. Jon Arryn knew that he would have to seek Ned Stark's help, no matter the cost, and he only prayed Velaryon would not seize the moment and sail into the Blackwater. All the wildfire in the city had been destroyed post the Dragonstone incident and there were essentially no defenses against a powerful enemy fleet. The Queen and the children had been sent to Storm's End, and he only prayed Lysa could get to the Eyrie soon.

_And so it begins, _thought the Lord Hand. _Time to Dance._

* * *

_**Notes**__ : Much shorter than before:_

[1] Elbert Arryn: Jon Arryn's nephew and heir. Went with Brandon Stark to KL, Executed there by King Aerys.

[2] Ref Prologue Note [1]

Now details: Doran Martell did not call for secessation in the series as he hoped for a Targaryen restoration, with Arianne as Viserys's Queen. Yet all the dragons are gone, along with any hopes of getting revenge that way. Doran's next option is secession. which is what he does, taking advantage of the chaos. He knows they cannot conquer Dorne, even Aegon I and Daeron I failed, and he foresees the Seven Kingdoms falling apart soon (as anyone with half a brain would). He thus seizes the moment (with prodding from people like Alayne) and calls for freedom.

Lord Velaryon: The main books dont give the impression that much, but Velaryon was a formidable power. Lord Corlys Velaryon was considered the greatest Lord to back Rhaenyra Targaryen in the Dance, even above Stark and Arryn. Their close ties to the Targaryens (most non Targaryen brides for the royal family came from that family, that was the second to preserve the blood of Old Valyria) and their strategic location in Driftmark (from where they can block trade to KL if they want) makes them a force to reckon with. Velaryon may have fallen with the Targaryens, in the post-Dance decline, but they are still the greatest Naval power on the East Coast. Lord Velaryon sees the Queen as a martyr and intends to keep the flame of Valyria burning as long as he can. Not a stable, long term solution really, but the backing of the Free Cities gives him time, while his enemy declines.


	4. Chapter 4: A Thousand Eyes and One

_I own Nothing._

* * *

_293 AL_

The boy was ten today, and for the first time in many years he felt the heavy weight of time. _Maekar's grandson's great-grandson, born more than a century after me._ Yet the boy was the only reason he had clung on for so long. _I thought I did not care, after Maekar threw me into the dungeons, and Aegon freed me only to pack me off to the Wall. _He had hoped to spend the rest of his days with the Children, and let the rain and sun bleach his bones, far north of Civilization, without a care about the world. _I gave the realm all I could, and now my services are no longer required. Let the true-born Targaryens rot._

Yet he had discovered he still cared in the worst way possible. He had stopped focusing on the South for long, but he did check on Aemon from time to time. _Daeron had loved that boy, and he was never half as rude as his father._ It was his misfortune that he was in Aemon's mind when he received the letter from Lord Arryn in Kings Landing, a late missive informing the Watch about the change in regime. He still felt Aemon's legs give way as his own, and the long wail still rang in his mind. Aemon had tried to jump up, but time was a cruel mistress. He still remembered being trapped in the maester's mind, as he lay weeping on the floor, cursing all the prophecies of the world. He remembered trying to rise from his tree-chair as well, only to find that time had defeated him as much as it had defeated Aemon.

For the first time in decades he had looked south, desperate to find some trace of his family. The only one he found was Rhaella in Dragonstone, and his relief disappeared almost immediately on realizing what she intended to do. He tried to stop her. _Live and fight for another day fool_,he wanted to yell in her head. But she was more formidable than her granduncle, and pushed him out her mind before setting off the wildfire. He still remembered Viserys's frightened screams, as the last of hope for his family burned. Aemon had already prepared to leave for Driftmark by then, and he wondered what he hoped to achieve at this age. It had taken all his strength to dissuade him, desperate to not have his last family to die in a fruitless cause. Aemon had no hope of actually reaching Driftmark and his mother's family, and would have either died on the way or be beheaded for oath-breaking. Still, Aemon had only been appeased once he heard of Monterys Velaryons victory in sea, and since that day greedily devoured any information about the troubles of Robert Baratheon. _He takes pleasure in the way his mother's family and his grandmother's people_ [1]_ are undoing the work by generations of our forefathers._

_But that's what we have sunk to, two old men desperate for revenge in some way. _Aemon could do very little, and even his power did not stretch that far down south. But he could hinder Robert Baratheon, make his life hard in little petty ways, and encourage men to rebel, a shadow of the power he had wielded as Aerys's[2] Hand.

_Two brothers I hated to two I loved. Aerys and Baelor were more my of brothers than Bittersteel or that Blackfyre who thought himself to be a God for having the Dragonbane's blood. _Maekar was never too fond of him though, jealous of the attention he had received from the boy's brothers and father. He was also at fault for never cultivating the relationship that much, underestimating the fourth son. _Then he killed Baelor and the Spring Sickness came to take Baelor's sons and Daeron. Aerys never consummated his marriage to Aelinor, and Rhaegel was mad, leaving Maekar the crown._

_I never thought I would feel anything for Maekar's line, except maybe for poor Aemon. Yet it is for the last of his descendants that I still live for. _He had been shocked to sense a Targaryen in Greywater Watch, a year after the sack; as his mind drifted across the land, unsure of what to do. Howland Reed's mind was too risky to invade, but Ned Stark's wasn't, and he was aware of the fate of the Last King of Westros. _Stark made a mistake leaving the boy in the Neck. Reed may never harm him, but he will always hold him accountable for the death of his lost love. They might protect him for Lyanna Stark, but they will despise him for the same._

_Such is the fate of any born different than those around him, especially with the epithet 'bastard'. _Daeron had been the only one to care for him at first, an albino bastard brother who their father hated. _They called him Daeron the Good for a reason. _Queen Naerys was surprisingly kind to her husband's bastard, and Daeron's Dornish wife had laughed at the way Westrosi treated their illegitimate children. _They were my family, and yet I must live while they can rest. Such is the reward of a kinslayer._

Daemon Blackfyre had not even been the first. That honor had gone to Queen Naerys, who had nearly gone mad with the onset of the Blackfyre rebellion. The pious woman had lived most of her life scared of her brother-husband, and she was convinced that their early defeats were a message from the Seven, as punishment for her adultery. The Queen was convinced that the only way to save her son was to confess her sins, and had sought his help. She had only confirmed what he had suspected for a long time, Daeron was too good to be brother to any of the Great Bastards. Yet her plan of a public confession would have been disastrous, and no connection to the Dragonknight could have saved the bookish Daeron if he was found illegitimate. Therefore he did his duty and slipped nightshade into her drink. _It was necessary, just as both King Jaehaerys and King Viserys had to save the realm from their disastrous predecessors_ [3]. Yet of all the deaths he had been responsible for, Naerys Targaryen was the one who haunted him the most._ She was innocent, as innocent as the babes Lannister butchered and yet it could not be helped._

_It was easy to get close to the boy, but harder to make him listen. Too much Daeron in him to do what needs to be done. _He had spent nine years trying to gain the boy's trust, and trying to help him control his prodigious powers, _far greater than mine in any case-must be the Stark blood mixing with the Targaryen._ The Old King had been a formidable sorcerer too, an art he used to great effect against the Faith. Yet it was he, Jaehaerys I who had driven the art underground, as a part of the compromise with the Faith. _Visenya Targaryen would have rolled in her grave. Five millennia of knowledge sacrificed to appease savages._

Yet there was still hope, for Rhaella Targaryen had succeeded where all before, right down to her grandfather, had failed. _The upswelling from the cold current makes the seas around Dragonstone fertile fishing ground, something that finally came advantageous._ It was difficult making it move, but the promise of more fertile feeding grounds did the job. Not for the last time, he hated himself for being too weak to lead the battle himself._ It will have to be him, Jaehaerys Targaryen the Third. Hopefully this name-day gift will convince him to drop his books and harp. _He still had his doubts, showing the bodies of his siblings had simply thrown the boy into depression instead of rage. And even discovering the chest with the letter, crown and sword-which finally confirmed the story for the boy-had not really led him to think of leading wars. Yet this will be a gift like none other, and will probably appeal to the intellectual side. Though some might argue the coin landed on the right side with this boy, he knew better. Such a soft heart could not survive the devastation of war, as well as the necessities of war. _Aerys was like that too. Maekar wasn't, and that was something I respected about him._

Aemon did not know-it was simply too risky, and besides it was impossible to tell. _I only hope we live to see our triumph._The boy was waking up now, and it was time to let him know that he was getting a gift. He briefly turned to the gift itself, and commanded it to move faster. _Hopefully this will make him come to terms with the dragon within, and kill the boy to let the man be born. _

_It will take a Jaehaerys to rule, not a Jon._

* * *

[1] Aemon's grandmother was Myriah Martell of Dorne. I made his mother a Velaryon ,as thats what the Targs marry after they run out of sisters  
[2] The Aerys mentioned here is Aerys I, not the Mad King. Daeron is Daeron II 'The Good'-Baelor, Aerys, Rhaegel , Maekar and Aelinor are his children.  
[3] Jaehaerys I succeeded Maegor the Cruel who died under strange circumstances. Viserys II succeeded his nephew Baelor the Blessed, and is suspected to have poisoned him

Next on- we move to the time-period of the books. More action, and less talk. Less isolated soliloquies too.


	5. Chapter 5: The Kinslayer

We now reach the time of Civil War. Some parts of it will be covered in here, as POV now moves with person, across both space and time.

Also-though I hate to fish for reviews, I would really appreciate a comment/kudos if you like the work/have something to say. This is my first fic on this site, and so I would greatly appreciate feedback.

I own nothing

Chapter Summary: In which a certain Lord of Dreadfort encounters various reptilian fauna of the Neck.

* * *

_The Twins, 299AL._

Domeric Bolton looked at his room in disdain. _Now I understand why the Freys are not famed for their hospitality._ His only consolation was that his King's quarters were barely better, but that was to be expected after Robb had shamed House Frey. _I should have prevented that, but I was barely better off then, unable to believe that Theon will actually kill Bran and Rickon and hang their bodies from a tower for all to see._

_Robb had far too much to manage after he was crowned, not the least of which was proving himself to his men while dealing with Lady Catelyn's nagging. I should have stopped him from releasing Theon, but like the fool I am, I finally acquiesced to it. Now we reap what we had sown and at the worst possible moment too. We are at war while Winter is coming._ Domeric Bolton was of the North and he had not forgotten winter, but he feared that his King had, in his quest to defend his grandsire's lands. _Robb might have given us the freedom his father had denied, but Lord Eddard had never led us to defeat in South. _Tarly had destroyed Robett Glover's army in Duskendale, making their situation truly dire. Robb Stark might not have lost a battle he had fought, but his commanders had lost as many as they had won. _And thanks to Greyjoy, he is the first Stark since the Wall was built to have lost the North._ All the Lords were united in marching north, and capturing Moat Caitlin with the help of Lord Reed, but the King was still undecided. _He is under tremendous stress but he should not test them so. It is not our duty to guard Tully lands forever while our crops remain in the field, not when Lord Stark is dead and there is no hope truly getting his sisters back._

_Forgive me Sansa, but that is the truth. There is nothing that can be done, after Lady Catelyn freed the Kingslayer. _That had been another disaster that had earned the Young Wolf the enmity of Karhold. The ensuing execution of Rickard Karstark had not sat well with most lords, even loyal ones like Glover and Umber. A march North to fight the Ironborn was the only way to avoid further discontent. _And we need to prepare for winter too, we cannot starve thousands for two girls. _He guiltily thought of his former betrothed, married to the Imp and trapped inside King's Landing, and a flash of anger ran through him. _If only Lord Stark had been man enough to turn Baratheon down, we would be all safe north of the Neck, while these Southron fools fought. Sansa and I might have even been wed by now, but Lord Stark lacked half the guts the Cripple in the chair had. Dorne showed the right way to deal with things._

To be fair, Lord Stark had tried, even Domeric could admit that. He had not been happy with Robert's proposal to betroth Sansa to Joffrey, and break her betrothal to Domeric. Lady Catelyn had been all excited over the idea of making her daughter Queen, as if her earlier betrothal was not an issue. _I had never been good enough for her, far more Northern than any of her sons. And I am not Rhaegar Targaryen, no matter how much I play the harp. _He was the one who broke the betrothal, to the relief of both Starks, though Robb was furious over it. His father too had been very unhappy, muttering something that sounded very much like _Andal filth._ Domeric was no fool though, he knew a lot of the Northmen held similar views, and he was as much a hostage as Greyjoy, present to stop his father from taking advantage of anti-Southron feelings. Thus, the loss of the betrothal had not been much of a loss, but it still stung. Sansa Stark had been a true Northern beauty, as beautiful as her aunt was, and the only one in Lady Catelyn's brood that was of the North.

There was a knock on his door, and he turned to see his father enter. The man placed a dagger in his hands, saying that the Freys could get too rowdy during the Wedding. _He would know, he married one just a week ago._ Still, Domeric appreciated the gesture. Peace and quiet was all he wanted, and it would be delightful if he could threaten some of his stepmother's family. _Might as well warn Smalljon and Dacey, though they would be in thick of the revelry. The King too I suppose, his nerves might appreciate a small warning in advance._

Twelve hours later, Lord Domeric Bolton thanked the Gods that he did.

_299 AL, The Neck._

The crangogman told them that they were only an hour from Greywater Watch, and not a moment too soon. Too many men were wounded and weary to last much longer in the elements. He still could not believe that they had been able to escape, though the cost had been very high. Grey Wind had somehow managed to get free, and had attacked a musician just as they began playing _The Rains_. That caught the Freys badly off, and their attack was chaotic, though the wolf was dead soon. Dacey and Smalljon Umber were the only others with weapons, and he had joined them in trying to fend of the attack. Ser Brynden helped too, the old Knight was more experienced than any of them, and though he was distracted with guarding his niece, they managed to overturn a table and get a more defensible position. He then turned to seek his father out, ready to thank him for his gift. Instead, his father had fallen face first into the ground, stabbed in the back by the same dagger he had given his son. _I guess I am an accursed kinslayer now, but at least I saved Robb. _The Greatjon had been able to join them, and they were somehow able to make it out amidst the chaos. Karhold and Dreadfort men had joined Freys in butchering the other Northmen, and they would have been caught too, if it was not for a pack of wolves running into the battle and a flock of ravens descending upon the Twins. _The Old Gods sent their emissaries to attack the enemy and help us escape, though they did not see it fit to help Lord Tully. _Dacey and Smalljon were dead too, caught in the fighting without any route to escape.

It was Lord Umber who suggested the Neck, and to seek out Lord Reed. Robb had agreed, if only because there was no other option. The Riverlands were no longer safe, thanks to the number of hostages House Frey held and after this debacle, he was quite certain very few of the men would want to fight anywhere south of the Neck.

Lord Umber had an ulterior motive for choosing the Neck, one that he made no effort to keep hidden. Robb's bastard brother lived with the Reeds, and the Northmen had finally decided Dayne blood was better than Tully. Robb had been forced to make his brother heir before setting out to the Twins, as the only other option was a minor Vale House. Robb had not liked that one bit, and Lady Catelyn had been furious, but Domeric had persuaded him accept the political reality. _It is all until you have children of your own._ Domeric was now grateful that he had succeeded, because otherwise the men would have butchered them soon after leaving the Twins, than to await the King's judgment.

_Nowhere to run in enemy territory. No safe route to the Vale or to White Harbor for escaping to the Free Cities. No , Ser Brynden's plan was the best. _The Old Knight had somehow been able to convince Umber that it would be better to allow Robb to abdicate in public in favour of his brother than be overthrown thus. Domeric had listed the political advantages of such a move, and though Lord Umber didn't trust him, the man had finally acceded.

_And so the Maester of Greywater Watch becomes King._ Robb had told him about his brother, who he visited once a year. _Looks like a girl and spends all day in books and with a harp, just like you Dom, but he doesn't even ride! I wonder how he even eats meat with that soft heart of his, _was what Robb had said of his brother, a description that had stopped Domeric from seeking out his own bastard brothers. It galled him that Sansa would lose her inheritance but it had to be. _They will not accept a Lord of Lannister blood,_ _especially when they have a Stark of their own in Greywater Watch._

_Starks have had held the North for eight thousand years. Not all of them could have been great warriors, and this Maester King would probably succeed in holding Moat Caitlin, and manage supplies for winter. That's all they want now. He might even be able to get something out of Anders Yronwood than flowery speeches, thanks to his Dornish blood, and those violet eyes might make Lord Velaryon write something more than arrogant insults. For all the Daynes claim of being Rhoynish, they are most likely a renegrade House of Valyria itself._

_That's what they are hoping for, not the nephew of the Sword of the Morning, the finest Knight of the Kingsguard. The nephew of Alayne Dayne, who freed an entire Kingdom without rising from his chair, is what they want, who can deliver them from this pit Robb has led them into. Someone who was uninfluenced by Southrons, raised fully in the North._

_You must abdicate,_ the Blackfish had told Robb, _if your brother is as you describe, he will probably let you live if you do. Else your men will be the ones to butcher you, and there is nowhere left to run. _Lady Catelyn had been horrified to hear her Uncle's plan. _I will not let Ashara Dayne's son rule the North!_, she had yelled, but Domeric had to silence her. _Your trueborn sister did not help her family in this greatest hour of need. His bastard half-brother can do little worse. Subjecting ourselves to his mercy is the best road ahead._

Lord Howland Reed stood outside his keep, and he noticed that Robb forced himself to meet his eyes. _This was Lord Stark's closest friend, and his children are dead thanks to Theon._ Lord Reed greeted them civilly enough, and did not express any surprise when Robb asked to meet Jon. Robb's half-brother was apparently in the Godswood, and Lord Reed led him towards it, which lay outside of the Keep. He was unsurprised to see the whole party follow them. No doubt they all were planning to witness Robb's moment of humiliation. Even Lady Catelyn had accompanied them, probably to set her eyes on the next King of the North.

They heard the music quite a while before reaching the place itself. _The Dance of the Dragons_, he thought, _Robb was right, he is quite good._

As expected, he was underneath the Weirwood tree, long silver hair covering those haunting violet eyes, playing the harp. The complete black dress was a surprise though, _thinking of joining the Watch?_

'Jon', spoke Lord Reed. 'Your brother is here to see you.'

Jon Snow raised his head, and Domeric heard a sharp gasp from the Blackfish behind him. He could have sworn he heard him mutter 'Aegon' too, and he agreed, though he doubted they were thinking of the same King. Ser Brynden was probably thinking of the Fifth, alongside whom he had fought the Blackfyres, and though he could see the semblance, he personally thought Snow resembled the Third much more, if the pictures in the books were any indication. _The Daynes have to be Valyrian after all, looks like Lord Velaryon might listen._

'Lord Stark,' spoke Jon Snow, 'an unexpected pleasure.'

Domeric noticed that Robb clenched his fists, and no one corrected Snow for not using 'King Robb' or 'Your grace'. He hoped Robb was mature enough to not rise up to the challenge. But he wasn't.

'I have decided to legitimize you', spoke Robb.

Jon Snow did not flinch, but a thin smile broke on his face. 'Thank you for the offer Lord Stark, but it is not a service I had ever required from you.'

'Jon', began Lord Reed.

'If you suddenly decided to provide me with the tale of the Knight of the Laughing Tree or the Tower of Joy, I can assure you that it will be unnecessary. I know, and have known for a long time.'

Reed stepped back as if he had been slapped.

'How?', whispered Howland Reed.

'You knew that Jojen had the greensight, but you conveniently forgot that another family in Westros shared such a gift. In any case, you should have hidden that chest better; I found it when I was eight, papers, sword and all.'

_Greensight? A gift similar to that, shared by only one other family? No, it cannot be what Im thinking, it is not possible at all._

'Then you know what is required of you', spoke Lord Reed, barely above a whisper.

'Expected? Expected by whom? A King without a Kingdom has few responsibilities, something Lord Stark and I are probably both rather grateful for.'

'Had I been born a girl, as my father had envisioned, I would have avenged my siblings a long time ago. But I was born a man, with the name of a Conciliator instead of a Conqueror. I chose to do what you and Eddard Stark wanted, lead a life of peace and rot in a far-away backwater, since I am no Visenya Targaryen or Jacerys Velaryon [1]. But now you tell me, sixteen years later, that you suddenly have need of me, when those who were trained into the art of ruling over all these years have proven themselves to be supremely incompetent?'

'Have you gone mad boy?' snapped Catelyn Stark, but she was ignored as Snow continued to speak. 'The Gods tossed a coin, Lord Reed, and it landed on the wrong face. But I will be damned before I let a Lannister sit easy on my brother's Throne, and so now it is time to toss the coin again and see if the Gods have changed their will.'

He saw Snow toss a gold dragon into the air, and his eyes followed the trajectory of the coin. The dragon came at the top, not the King and a thin smile broke on Jon Snow's face as he stood up. _The Gods have changed their minds after all, Eddard Stark was a fool to have played with fire._

Lord Reed had gone very pale, and his next words were barely more than a whisper. 'What are you going to do Jon?'

'We both know that is not my name, and so you might as well stop saying it. As for what I intend to do-_Vaithe du Caraxes.'_

He had to cover his ears to escape that keen screech that rang out in answer. He looked at Snow, _no, definitely not Snow_, who was looking upwards into the clouds. He followed his gaze, and nearly collapsed in shock as he saw a great black shape descending upon them, with wings wider than a field.

The dragon landed just behind the musician, its great eyes as big as a man. Men around him trembled in fear, and knelt. Snow ignored all of it though, as he jumped into the air, _no, not jumped, no man can jump that high,_ and the long neck of the dragon slipped underneath him.

'Your grace!' yelled Lord Reed in shock.

'Try to not get yourself killed next time, Lord Stark. I did not intervene in the Twins for nothing. And now, duty beckons, I have a long overdue meeting with Lord Tywin. _Valar dohaeris._'

And Domeric could only watch in awe as the dragon leapt up into the sky, taking with it the Last Targaryen in Westros.

A strangled cry escaped Lord Umber's neck that sounded suspiciously like _Lya. _Lord Reed nodded, and turned to face them all. 'Looks like there is a long story I need to tell you now.'

'But what of us,' whimpered Lady Catelyn.

'The King commands you to live, and so live you must, my lady' spoke Lord Umber with finality.

_Just when I thought the War of the Four Kings was over did it have to start anew[2], thought Domeric. The War of the Five Kings now truly begins._

* * *

**_Notes: _**

**_[1]. Visenya Targaryen, First of her Name-Sister wife of Aegon I. The most dangerous of all Targaryen, or even Westrosi /  
Jacerys Velaryon, firstborn son of Rhaenyra Targaryen. Perished in battle to win the Throne for his /  
[2] Stannis is long dead. The four Kings were Joffrey, Robb, Renly and Balon (and their respective heirs). Now a Targaryen joins the mix (Robb is not yet overthrown, and can stir some trouble if he wants to)._**

Shit just got real. This was the longest chapter ever and hardest to write. Jon/Jaehaerys's motivations and psyche will be analyzed later, as this chapter was meant to just be high /  
For anyone who is wondering, Jon did not hide a dragon in the Neck. He sent it back off into the sea, but it does stay relatively close, and can be summoned fast enough. Jon had already planned to leave when he turned 16 (the coin chose the direction), and so he brought it close. The Twins-he had intervened as a warg with both Grey Wind and the other animals, although it was truly speaking it was Domeric who saved them (methinks the Dragon is a bit too conceited).


	6. Chapter 6: The Sea Snake

There was a comment that raised a few points I ought to clarify for all:

_One question I have is what's up with the Northern lords? Great Jon was the most loyal of Robb banner man in the book. Why would he an the other lords depose Robb for Jon who is a non-factor and hasn't achieved anything while Robb is known as an excellent strategist and tactician? Even before Jon revealed his dragon everyone assumed that his mother was Ashara. So being of purer northern blood really doesn't work. Or did Jon use warging to influence the other lords?_

Ans: Normally you would think so, but a couple of issues. Greatjon Umber is perhaps the biggest secessionist out there. Now, Ned got a lot of Northern men killed in Robert's Rebellion but failed to bring home the bacon (i.e. tangible benefits)-Arryn is Hand and Bobby King, Lyanna etc dead. A popular feeling the in the North (and I quote Umber from canon) is that 'It was the dragons we married and the dragons are no more'. They may not say it openly, but they wanted Ned to push for independence, as the Kingdom of the North had never knelt to Andals in 8k years (which is precisely what Bobby is). I think this is a reasonably fair assessment to make, especially on the relative cultural and economic isolation of the North from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms.

In canon, these feelings explode with rapidity post Ned being being dead. However, in this verse- Dorne and Velaryon show their middle finger to Bobby pretty much as fast as they can, and Northern sentiment starts turning again Ned's policy of unquestioning loyalty to Bobby. Throw in a four year Greyjoy rebellion (on account of Stannis being dead), and you have a mighty large number of pissed off people. However, they are still loyal to House Stark and keep quiet-for then. Ned's political immaturity deals further damage as none of his girls are to marry in the North (Sansa's broken betrothal to Domeric, mentioned in this Chapter) or not even his boys, for that matter (no fixed betrothals). Ties start to weaken, and then Ned dies off and Robb agrees to secession. The Northmen are happy, until Troutgate (Catelyn releasing Jaime), Jeynegate (self-explanatory), Theongate (who every one of the lords already hated-long rebellion and also hated how close he was to Robb). Now suddenly they face certain defeat- Robb Stark's strategy of winning battles has essentially led to them losing the War. Most Lords rightly feel that Winter is coming, fields need to be taken care of, and the priority should be recovering the North from the Ironborn instead of defending Riverlands. This, however would have disastrous consequences for the Riverlands thanks to Tywin etc and so Robb is opposed to a complete pull out, as many Lords want-to retreat back to defending their ancient Kingdom of the North, and to hell with two girls as Domeric notes early on).

Jon has a couple of unique advantages over Robb. It is not purer blood that makes him attractive, but that his mother is not Catelyn Tully-a woman who had become the focal point for hatred long before the War, that the lords refused to direct at Ned at first. The first Andal marriage in Centuries, followed by a Sept at Winterfell etc have many of them worried about the loss of culture (compare and contrast with Dorne in this verse). Then they are caught up defending Tully lands (and ridiculing their ability to control bannermen like Frey), while the North is overrun with Ironborn. Then Jaime is freed, Karstark gets his head chopped and the Red wedding happens. She is radioactive as a result-and so are her kids. Jon has the unique advantage that he grew up far away from 'unduly Southron influence at Winterfell', in Greywater Watch. His Dayne 'maternal uncle' also happened to have engineered the secession of Dorne, and the Northmen are desperate for allies who can be of some use (such as opening the frontier in the Marches along with the Neck). Heck, they will agree to anyone who can protect the territorial integrity of the North, and wage a realistic, sober war. They have had their fill of Alexanders, they want to go back to the days when even average Starks could hold the North and give 0 f***s about geniuses winning their battles in Riverlands.

Real turningpoint for GreatJon: Smalljon getting killed in the Red Wedding.

* * *

**The Sea Snake**

_Blackwater Bay, 299AL._

Lord Monterys Velaryon stepped out of his cabin just in time to observe the first rays of the sun shine on his destination. _Dragonstone,_ he thought,_ so near and yet so far._ He had not been to Dragonstone for over fifteen years, when his ships came to take the last of the people away to Driftmark, as well as remove the ashes of the last dragons. The remains of Rhaella Targaryen and her son had been put to rest in the sea, the crypts of Dragonstone being no longer accessible. _They call this the War of the Four Kings, but there was already a year with four Kings in it, three of whom barely ruled. Aerys II, Aegon VI, Jaehaerys III and finally Viserys III, the last King. _He clenched his hands as he thought about it, he and Rhaella were ready to move out and attack King's Landing with full force, ready to show the usurper that the dragon was not dead. But the storm happened, and their ships were smashed against rocks in their own harbors. He was trapped in Driftmark at the end of it, unable to go to Dragonstone and try to save his cousin. Still he had tried, and had a rag-tag fleet ready before the raven came. _Rhaella told me to stay put; that she planned to engage Stannis on land in Dragonstone. I obeyed, thinking that she had a plan prepared. _She had, but it was different from what he had expected, and he had only realized it when the Queen had not come out of the first ship that came from Dragonstone. _What were you thinking Rhaella, to use your own death to advance our cause? What purpose did you hope it will serve?_

_Did you foresee that it will make the last of our men refuse to yield, so much so that we would risk it all to take on Robert Baratheon's men in the sea? _That had been the greatest battle in his life, and he had to make heavy concessions to both Pentos and Tyrosh to get their aid in time. Even so, it had been a close thing, and they were saved by another storm, wherein they sought shelter in coves around Dragonstone. The Redwynes and Manderlys did not know about those and they perished at sea. _A crushing victory at a terrible price. If Lord Tywin brought his ships east, there would have been no hope for us at all._

_Dorne saved us that time by declaring secession. Till then, we did not know why we fought and what we sought to achieve. Dorne opened our eyes._ Robert Baratheon was forced to focus on the southern theatre and that gave him enough time to strike a deal with Volantis. Volantenes still had aspirations of grandeur about Valyria, and they were more than willing to aid him, once he requested it on the behalf of _the Westernmost province of the Freehold. And sold all our captives to them. _It helped that the Targaryens were dead, since there was no love lost between them and the Free Cities. With Volantis, Pentos and Tyrosh backing him, and with control over all the trade routes to King's Landing, he forced the usurper to capitulate. _Jon Arryn and Ned Stark were both too willing to capitulate, honorable men who had lost stomach for fighting by then. _Stark and Arryn had put Lannister down and forced peace with both Dorne and the new state of West Valyria. Lord Velaryon knew it was not really a long term solution, since they were too close to Kings Landing for Westrosi Kings to ignore them for long. _But it gave us time, time to wait and strengthen ourselves while the Seven Kingdoms go into decline and split apart._

_For a hundred years between the Doom and the Conquest, these Islands were all that remained of Old Valyria. But there was a Targaryen in Dragonstone then, ready to ride out atop Balerion to take on any foolish westrosi who dared challenge us. Now we must play a game in the shadows to live. _Varys had been of considerable help, and he now felt ashamed of himself for doubting that man during the rebellion. _Knowledge is power, and thanks to Varys, I am not short of it. _It was certainly useful to know which merchants dared to try to get to the Free Cities without paying his dues. And it was certainly useful to know when the merchant guild tried to convince Robert to hire sellswords to attack them. _That fool thought it as a way of winning glory over his more cautious Hand, and yet he only drove the Realm in further debt while we prevailed._ That had been his lucky break, as Arryn, refusing to take further loans from Lannister or Tyrell, had sought out the Iron Bank in Braavos and the Bank asked him to ensure all dues were paid. It was simple really, to stop all Westrosi merchants from trading with Essos and have them create trouble for Arryn. _A silent war over money was easier to win than a real one._ He had profited greatly from these enterprises, as well as the heavy taxation from ships that were not from favored Free Cities (who were too eager to aid him hinder their competitors). _Dorne had done similar, stop all direct trade with the Seven Kingdoms. We could afford to rely only on Free Cities, but they are too big to survive on that alone, especially with me creating trouble for them._

_The Greyjoy rebellion had been a lucky break._ Both he and Prince Doran had consulted over whether they should take advantage of it, but they had not, in the end. The Stark-Tully-Arryn-Baratheon-Lannister alliance was still there, and would be there as long as Robert lived. While there might have been disagreements over offensive warfare, all five would have been united over defensive war._ But the four years it took them to put the Iron Islands down drained even Robert of desire to battle._ He was surprised that they had lasted so long, and that Arryn had not capitulated again, especially since they basically had no capable Naval leader since the late Stannis Baratheon. _Then again, Northmen hate the Ironborn as much as Lannister does, so Stark probably held sway._ It was then he had blockaded King's Landing, for not paying the Iron Bank. Lord Arryn had to strip the Red Keep down of any valuables, _quite a lot of which I kept or bought from the Bank, _and Robert had not even raged like he used to, after he returned. He thought it might have been an excellent time to inform the Arryn about the activities of the Queen with her brother, but had desisted. _It would have brought no benefits, the Tyrells had a bride lined up, and the Westerlands would have probably been defeated, both Stark and Arryn were itching for an excuse. It would have made a martyr of Robert, the one thing to be avoided at any cost. Rather, letting the realm split after he died, when his Queen and brother would fight was a better way. The Reach and Stormlands against the rest._

_I did not factor in Stark getting involved, which complicated the game for me. _For some time it seemed like Robb Stark could neutralize Tywin, making Renly Baratheon, joined by Barristan Selmy, the truly formidable force. Renly had the potential to stitch the realm together so he had to go. A Faceless man did the job elegantly, except that Loras Tyrell was present when Renly died. The Stormlords blamed Tyrell, resulting a massive battle. He had not expected the Tyrell's to join the Lannisters though, _flies drawn to rotting meat._ Robb Stark's failure to contain Lord Tywin, and the defeat of the Baratheon forces under Selmy in the siege of King's Landing had ensured the Lannisters held power, albeit weakly. Selmy still held Storm's End for Robert's bastard, Edric Storm, who Renly had legitimized as his heir. _And I have profited greatly from it, the Imp paid me whatever I demanded in return for letting his sell-swords though, before Renly died and Tywin broke through._

_It is finally time for us to strike. We cannot survive forever on the mercy of the Free Cities. There are still enough loyalists left in the Crownlands for us to strike. Crackclaw point for instance, has already sent men. If we capture some parts of the old Crownlands, maybe King's Landing itself, we would be in a position to make a new Kingdom for ourselves. Varys has men inside, and we have not fought in this war yet, despite entreaties from all sides. If we strike right, we can prevail and drive them out of King's Landing to Highgarden or the Rock. The time could not be better, especially with the Ironborn pillaging the West and drawing their attention there._

_All for you Rhaella, its all up to me now, as the closest thing left to a Targaryen in Westros._

He heard someone clear their neck behind, and turned to see his bastard nephew. _My late elder brother was not particularly careful with regards to bedding women, and yet he left Driftmark to me when he died unwed in the Trident. _He was fond of Aurane though, and had raised the boy like he was his own, as much as Sylvia or Monfrey. Aurane was uneasy though, and so was he. There were rumours that the curse of the Last Queen hung over Dragonstone. No ships had approached the Island in over fourteen years and returned to tell the tale. He had lost far too many men in these waters, and so had others.

_I am not afraid of you cousin, or some silly superstition. We come to seek your blessing and to pray at the Conqueror's Sept, and then we march to carry your last wishes out. If we are afraid of a curse, we might as well give up the battle and flee to the Free Cities. Today, in Dragonstone, shall I embrace the Targaryen legacy, as the last of our kind, with the blood of King Aegon V's sister Rhae in my veins, and lead my men to Victory. The same blood as your mother, Rhaella-will you not grant me victory, even though I be more Snake than Dragon?_

* * *

_Dragonstone, 299 AL._

They heard the screeches as soon as they landed, and it was impossible to not notice the dragons that came out to face them. Men grew pale with fear, and were about to turn tail. Yet he commanded them to pause, fleeing to wooden ships against dragons was utmost folly. _Besides, now I can see how hot the blood of Valyria burns within me after all. _Aurane too stepped forward, determined to succeed. _One of us probably will, though the other may not escape. The bastard Addam of Hull mastered Ser Laenor Velaryon's dragon for Queen Rhaenyra, but his brother Alyn was nearly killed by another dragon. They were legitimized for their service though, and it is Alyn's blood we share, not Addams. Still the rewards are too great for us to hesitate._

Yet they never got the chance. Another, louder screech rang out in the air, and the men looked up to see a great shadow descend upon them. _Gods be good, that creature is even larger than Balerion! _The other dragons fled after seeing this beast, and men this time did scream and break ranks, but the creature did not breathe fire or otherwise seem inclined to violence. It landed right before them, and only then did he notice the rider.

Clothed completely in black, with silver hair and violet eyes, the rider leapt off the back of the creature to face them. Velaryon's eyes went immediately upon his brow , which was graced by a simple gold band._ Gods be good! The Dragonbane's crown! The sword too, I would recognize Dark Sister anywhere! But those were lost, used to honor one of our last Kings who we lost to Stark or a childhood malady. Unless…_

'It is a pleasure to finally meet you Lord Velaryon' spoke Jaehaerys III Targaryen.

His response was to raise his sword in the air, and yell. After a moment's hesitation, Aurane and the men did the same. And for the first time since the Doom, the air was loud with the cry of ' Hail Imperator!' from men who had never seen Valyria, and yet from which they claimed descent, cultural or otherwise.

Jaehaerys Targaryen offered a stiff bow in response, and then men broke into a further loud cheer.

'We have much to discuss, Your Grace.'

'That we do Lord Velaryon, and I suppose the Old Sept will be as fine a place to converse as any other.'

_The Gods are truly kind, Rhaella. Victory is now finally within our reach and I only wish you lived long enough to see this day for yourself. _

_With luck, there will be a Targaryen King on the Iron Throne by the first day of the next century._

* * *

General notes:  
Velaryon-Targaryen family connection(for this fic): King Aegon V's sister married into the Velaryon family. Monterys and his brother are her grandchildren. Her daughter had married King Jaehaerys II, making Monterys first cousins with Rhaella. There is quite some gap in age there, Monterys being just slightly older than Rhaegar (he was the second son who became Lord post Trident).  
Aurane is actually treated well, and is not exactly planning to be a backstabber. He does like his cousins, and hates Robert for killing his father.  
Selmy had nowhere to go-Stannis dead, Rhaella and children dead. There is quite some regret there, but he joins Renly. He doesnt like Loras too much (kind of like what Jaime thinks, but more stuck up), and is responsible for a lot of trouble with Tyrells. He survived the battle for KL, (no Wildfire, its a taboo word after Rhaella) and is leading the last southron resistance to Lannisters, which is crumbling. The Greyjoys are pillaging the whole west coast, since the Redwyne fleet is just a shadow of its former self, sapping strength from both Lannister and Baratheon. Velaryon knows nothing about Red Wedding etc.  
The timing is interesting too, late 299AL-getting close to Joff+Marg marriage. People are concentrating in KL for fun to begin.  
And Bloodraven's lessons will start paying off. The metaphorical coin actually has three sides, as Westros will see.

The next POV will be a very Canon Character. Start guessing :D


End file.
